Ramesh Udeshi, beneficiaries sentenced

Former Sindh secretary, land utilisation, along with co-accused were beneficiaries of illegal allotment of land.

KARACHI: Former Sindh secretary, land utilisation, Ramesh M Udeshi along with co-accused, who were beneficiaries of an illegal allotment of land at throwaway prices, were sentenced to four-year imprisonment and fined Rs50,000 each Saturday by Anti-Corruption Court judge Rashida Asad.

According to FIR 27/2001, Udeshi transgressed his powers and allotted 20 acres to  Shahid Ahmed Khan and Rehana Minhaj. The land valued at Rs300,000 per acre in the open market but was sold for Rs3,000 per acre.

The court sentenced the accused to rigorous imprisonment for four years.

SHC short of 18 judges

After the elevation of Chief Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany and senior judge Justice Amir Hani Muslim of the Sindh High Court, the provincial chief court has 18 vacancies of permanent judges.

Along with the elevations, as the PCO judges’ contempt of case of Justice Yasmeen Abbasi is before the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The SHC also has 22 judges.

The sanctioned strength of SHC is 40 judges. According to officials, new appointments of additional judges are in the pipeline. The process is likely to commence soon, SHC officials said.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th, 2011.